Was it being in the right place at the right time? Or the wrong place at
the right time? Jimmy wasn’t entirely sure, but taking his opportunities
when they arose was his field of expertise.
When a bag full of money landed squarely at his feet he didn’t need
telling twice to pick it up and run like hell. He didn’t actually need telling
at all!
Diving precariously onto his old Suzuki motorbike and wincing with
pain from the landing almost toppling it over in his haste, he kick-started
it already on the move, hoping the two cops with the guns behind that
nearest car hadn’t noticed him. Wow! A bank robbery here! Jimmy’s
mind was in a whirl as he revved his bike away and left onto Westerna
Boulevard. He couldn’t believe his luck. And it had all happened so
quickly.
He’d only come into town to check his bank account. He was in a
desperate situation financially. His landlord was demanding three months
rent, unfairly Jimmy thought. He only owed five months. He had no food
at all in the flat, he hadn’t eaten since yesterday’s breakfast, and even that
was only the last remaining crumbs in his cornflake pack. His stomach
was constantly grumbling, and his bike was on its last legs.
And here it was all happening. Armed Police everywhere, the bank
cordoned off with yellow tape and a crowd of people gathered on the side
walk to watch. It was luck that had made Jimmy turn his bike around
and face it homeward. He intended to just go back home, but curiosity got
the better of him and he stepped up to the Police cordon, but away from
the crowd.
There was a guy with a megaphone calling for the robbers to give
themselves up, telling them they were surrounded by armed Police and
there was no way out. It had been going on for a while when Jimmy
arrived. He didn’t know if they had hostages, or if they were armed or
anything. But the robbers were already on the point of giving themselves
up as Jimmy stood up to the cordon.
Two masked men came out with their hands high above their heads
and were told to lay face down on the ground. A third one came running
out moments later clutching a bulky bag in each hand. He had seemed
totally oblivious to the police presence; saw nothing of the two men laid
prostrate on the ground in front of the door, tripped over the first one
letting the two bags go flying through the air as he fell headlong down the
bank steps.
One of the bags flew high and across at the Police, causing them to
duck to avoid being struck. The other landed squarely at Jimmy’s feet. He
didn’t even glance around to see if anyone was looking, but just assumed
everyone’s attention would be on the robbers and the Police. And anyway,
he hadn’t taken his helmet off, so he couldn’t be identified that way.
As he tore away down the main street he wondered just how much
money was in the bag, and how much he would have left once he’d paid
his debts and bought a new bike. Wow, a new bike. Had his luck finally
changed?
With just thirty yards to go to his turn his questions were partly
answered by the sound of sirens suddenly bursting into his thoughts back
up the road, and ahead of him in the distance, he could see flashing blue
lights heading his way. Risking a quick glance behind, he saw three cars
racing down the road as the traffic swerved to the sides to let them
through.
Only twenty yards left. He was sure he could make it. Turning the
accelerator round to full he surged forward but then the bike spluttered
and choked as he changed up a gear and let out the clutch again. Easing
back the throttle it kicked forward again and kept going, he was going to
make it. The sirens were louder and he could almost feel the heat of their
engines on his legs.
At last the turn! It was only a walkway, with two concrete bollards in
the way but his bike fit through easily. He knew if he could make it
through, they couldn’t follow him. It led onto the Westmorland estate and
it was a twenty mile drive around by car.
As the first Police car sped past he spun his bike off the road and in
towards the bollards. He missed his footing on the edge of the curb and
the back wheel of the bike hit the bollard and yet he managed not to fall
off. The second and third cars flew past, none of them even slowing, and
he turned to see one of the bank robbers sat in the back of each car along
with a Police officer to either side of them. He felt his heart skip as he
realised they weren’t chasing him and turned smiling to go on his way.
In that one split second, the back wheel of his bike bounced off the
bollard and across to the other bollard, throwing Jimmy sideways. The
bike stalled as it rocked over. Jimmy fell off and the bag flew forward,
bursting open as it landed at the feet of two very tall Policemen.
“You really must keep your mind on what you’re doing Jimmy,” the
first one said as he bent and stuffed some very plain looking clothes back
into the bag. “Never mind what’s going on behind you. Bikes are
dangerous things you know.”
He handed the bag back as Jimmy picked himself up and dusted
himself down.
“You’re very lucky it was us coming down here just then Jimmy.
Anyone else and you could have been in real big trouble.”
It was a very deflated Jimmy that took hold of the bag and thanked his
two best friends before pushing his bike home.
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